Reaching Through the Veil
by lil1diva
Summary: After the Great Crash, both Haven and above ground were thrown into disarray. Years later, Beckett and Myles have grown up, and with the help of their friends, their family, and of course the fairies, it may just be possible to restore both worlds. Includes OCs, a touch of love, and a whole lot of sarcasm. T for mild swearing and violence, cover art by KisaSohmaCookie.
1. The Sudden Arrival

SPOILER ALERT: this takes place after the 8th book. I have warned you, so I do not want people commenting on how I'm about to ruin everything for them. I will try not to include spoilers, but if I think it will be relevant, it will be used in this story. If you are okay with that, by all means continue reading! I welcome it greatly.

Shout out to KisaSohmaCookie for all her ideas and for betaing the story. Thank you so much!

**Reaching Through the Veil**

The tale of the Fowl twins begins not with them, but their older brother, Artemis Fowl, as he lightly thrummed his fingers on the keyboard in rhythm with Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata playing softly in the background. This was the fifteenth time this week he listened to this song, and who knows how many times in the past two years? Ever since the Great Techno-Crash, Artemis had been bleaching his skin more in computer glow as his eyes darted across a dozen screens each day, especially on cold winter days like this one. He was the People's link to Earth, and as such was expected to help monitor fairy activity on the surface. Every so often he would team up with Holly to go and cover up a scene with money, wits, or even violence. Usually, though, he was cooped up in his room looking for any unusual signs across the globe, one of his computers running a constant internet search for anything that looked like a match to fairy activity.

It should have been incredibly boring to someone as intelligent as Artemis, to use his mind in such a menial way, but he found it quite enlightening. For the first few weeks, it was as boring as he anticipated it would be. But then he started to notice a pattern happening across the globe. It was subtle at first, but once he spotted it, it was hard to miss. Humans began to help one another, began to have hope that things would get better, even better than before.

There were no audio on any of the screens he watched, hence the classical music, but actions speak louder than words. It was the teenager who stopped using their car and rode their bike more often, and then advocated for bikes on Facebook starting an energy saving movement. It was the businessman who decided to stop building energy plants and switched to building parks instead, a campaign many others picked up that saved the lives of tired mothers everywhere. It was a mother who previously bought her children fast food sitting down at the dinner table and eating a home cooked meal together. It was the group of kids that put down their video games to play hide and go seek in those parks, given a ride there by their older siblings who rode bikes, to come home and have a home cooked meal, tired but satisfied from a fun filled day outside.

So Artemis spent his days watching small events like that happen around the world, occasionally intervening when he saw something fishy pop up. Like bikes that traveled faster than cars. Very ingenious, Artemis admitted, especially since so many people wanted bikes, but the pixie had to have known that making them glow strange colors and use small fairy made engines was bound to be noticed sooner or later.

And while the world was changing and becoming more hopeful, it was not ready for fairies yet. The fairy technology would be abused in a situation like this, hindering the regular process of human development of their own inventions. And, well, Artemis needed some humans to rise to his level of intellect eventually, or at least attempt it. How was he supposed to be a true genius when everyone else was at the level of a toad?

Artemis' fingers stopped tapping as he noted that someone arrived in his room. She hadn't visited in a while; the least she could do was make it harder to know she was coming. It was almost too easy like this.

"Holly, you can't keep popping up like this," Artemis said as he turned off Beethoven and swiveled around to meet nothing but air.

"Your whole family already knows about me, it's not exactly a secret anymore," Holly replied coming into view. A few years had done little to her appearance, still the same height and bright eyes, one hazel and one blue. Her auburn hair had grown longer, brushing against her shoulders now and she ruffled it to give back the volume the helmet she wore had taken away. She almost looked younger now, no longer a soldier in LEP but part of a different military division created specifically for dealing with surface crises. Her military attitude was still there, present in the way she carried herself and stood with her shoulders back, but a light smile danced on her face. Some things never change.

"Yes, which is why they'd like to see you walk in so they can greet you. My mother's been on my case about that for a long time now. She wants to greet you like any other guest."

"Okay, I'll come in through the front door next time. Want me to ring the doorbell and bring in cookies, too?"

"Hm, that would be nice…"

"What? You're not-"

"It was a joke, Holly. As I grow older, I find that making jokes creates a more pleasant atmosphere for talking. I thought I was getting better at it. You came here for a reason?"

Artemis watched Holly hold back a laugh, probably at the thought of him making jokes at all, before she just shook her head and put her helmet on a nearby table.

"No, this is a long overdue social call. How're your parents?"

"They're starting a new project in Africa about getting clean water to remote places. You should see Butler. Now that he's retired, he's not as active as he once was. I know he couldn't be a bodyguard anymore since he's older, but I think he misses the thrill of it all. He would love it if you paid him a visit."

"I will soon. I saw him watching some war movie between Mud Men in one of the rooms downstairs; I'll have to introduce him to some of our war videos, now those are what I'd call action. Hundreds of years of warfare packed into a three hour film, nothing beats it. I mean, there's this one film that reenacted the scene when dwarves were riding trolls, man, and the awards that film won-"

"You're babbling."

Holly opened her mouth in protest before closing it without saying a word. Then she stared at him, lost in her own thoughts as her eyes gazed past him. Artemis concentrated on her, wondering what she was so lost in thought about before she came to her senses and looked away sharply. The moment had passed, but Artemis filed the memory away to be brought up later and analyzed in detail.

"How are your brothers?" Holly asked in an attempt to get back on track.

Artemis groaned at the thought of his brothers as he turned back to his screens, determined to push the thoughts out of his head. He could hear Holly snickering behind him and he did his best to try and busy himself or at least look the part.

"Apart, they're not so bad, but when the two of them are together… they can be quite a handful."

"I thought you liked them?"

"I do. It's just… last week I was trying to teach them about circuits and how electricity flowed. Myles seemed interested, kept asking me questions about the circuit I had displayed on the table, an old computer of mine, and I was enjoying teaching them. But then, when I turned away to draw a diagram on the board, Beckett must have sawed the legs from the table because as I turn around to explain the diagram, the back right leg of the table collapsed and the circuit board fell to the floor, wires disconnecting and sending sparks flying as it fell, and I barely had enough time to grab my phone from the table before the whole electric mess collapsed on it. It was a nightmare, Holly."

"Would you expect anything less from your brothers?"

"Hm, no. They are _my_ brothers after all. They have to be clever enough to confuse me, even if it is annoying. I think they'll be just fine."

Angeline Fowl had just finished her breakfast of toast and orange juice when she looked at her Cartier watch, a birthday present from Artemis a few years ago. He told her that she never seemed to remember to arrive at events on time. She gently reminded him that she liked to show up fashionably late to events. That was when someone else was holding the party. Which reminded her, she had guests arriving in an hour and should be getting ready soon; it was very impolite to keep a guest waiting.

She made her way to her bedroom, languidly gliding up the long staircase in no hurry because she knew hurrying and worrying only made her age faster. The room was currently unoccupied as Artemis Senior was already out meeting with a prospective sponsor for their Africa campaign. They had hit a rut as of late, not having enough backing to pursue the next part of their plan, but that could wait for now. Angeline had more important things to do like get dressed for the day. Picking through her closets, she selected a light blue sundress to match the summer air outside, tying the white bow in the back with the expertise of a noble lady.

Next was her hair and makeup, but she let out a small sigh as she approached the mirror. There were signs of aging all over her face. The wrinkles on her forehead that no anti-aging cream ever managed to get rid of. Her brown hair no longer had the color it did when she was younger, gray hairs peeking at the base of her hair over the brown dye, but she stubbornly fixed the part and succeeded in covering them for now. She'd have to visit Linda later this week for a new dye. The small bags under her eyes could be masked with a little foundation and cover-up, but it was moments like these in the morning when she felt the full weight of them under her eyes.

But even as she lost things, she gained so much more with age. Her muscles grew weaker, but she became more graceful and learned to be more patient, a necessary skill for her younger boys. And she was determined to be the mother she never got to be for Artemis, learning from all her past mistakes. She regretted it sometimes, how she missed out on years of his life wrought with grief over her husband. But she put that behind her now and used it to strengthen her resolve to be better this time around. She had little time to dwell on the past with two rambunctious boys that had a knack for getting into trouble.

Angeline nearly poked her eye out with her eyeliner pencil when she heard a loud crash coming from the twins' room. Deciding eyeliner was too much for her anyway, she put all her tools back into her makeup box and left her room to investigate the noise down the hall.

"Myles, Beckett! What was that noise?" she called down the hall as a warning to them that she was on her way.

"It's nothing, mum. I'm fine," Myles yelled back

"What about your brother?"

"He's out collecting mold samples, no wait, don't open the door!"

Angeline reacted to his cry a second too late and as the door swung open she was hit with a horrid stench similar to that of rotten eggs, dirty socks, sour milk, and a dozen other unnamable things all mixed together. She quickly brought her arm up to her face in an attempt to cover up the smell, but it just seemed to cling to her like a cotton dress in summer. Her eyes stung and she could not understand how Myles and Becket lived in this environment until she looked up and saw that he was wearing a gas mask. Figures.

"Myles, come out here right now."

"Yes, mum."

Angeline retreated down the hall and attempted to wave the smell away. It didn't work. Myles walked out a moment later and shut the door behind him, sealing the smell in the room. It was a mystery how the room held the odor in, but Angeline was thankful for it; she did not want her house smelling like that when her guests arrived.

"What are you doing in there?"

"Trying to find ways to neutralize odors."

Removing the gas mask, Angeline bent down to get a good look at her son. He resembled his father more, the dark brown almost black hair and the bright blue eyes, the impossibly pale skin only accentuated by his tendency to remain in his lab. He had a nose like hers, though, a trait she liked to think was good pass on. She reached out to fix the part in his hair so it wasn't straight down the middle, but Myles protested by leaning away from her hand.

"I like it the way it is."

"Oh, but it's not very stylish, dear," Angeline complained wanting him to look his best. God knows she could never get Beckett still enough to run a comb through his hair, let alone enough time to make a part in it.

"I'm six years old, old enough to decide how I can wear my hair."

Angeline just smiled and stood back up. It was easy to forget that Myles and Beckett were such young children. They acted older than they were, their words and mannerisms beyond the capacity of a regular six year old, but no matter how many dress shirts and pants, loafers, and nice watches Myles wore, she still bought them all in the kids section at the store.

"Myles, Myles, I found the moss we were looking for! Oh, hello mum."

"Beckett, you're covered in mud!"

"The moss was high up in the tree, and I fell a few times into the mud before I threw a rope over and tied it down to help me climb it."

Angeline never knew what she was going to do with Beckett. The opposite of both his brothers, he would rather be outside exploring everything than cooped up in a lab, as shown by his choice of clothing, namely whatever Angeline buys him. She figured out by what got the dirtiest which ones he liked best, a low collar t-shirt and tough cargo shorts or pants. He even looked different, taking after her tan skin color, but the blond almost curly hair was uniquely his. She suspected it was taken from one of her relatives, her grandmother and an uncle had hair like that, and it snuck into his genes somehow. If only he would sit still long enough for her to get a brush or comb to it.

"Well, we have guests coming in the hour, so you boys need to get cleaned up. Meet me downstairs when you look presentable. We don't want your new friend to think you're ill-mannered."

Both boys, who had moved next to each other to discuss their smell removal scheme and were whispering excitedly about the moss, groaned when she mentioned the word "friend."

"But mum," they protested.

Angeline put her hands on her hips and gave them the parental look. The one that clearly said "I am the parent, and this is how it will be." She often practiced this look in the mirror trying to get it right, not too angry, but just stern enough to get the point across.

"No buts. I have brought over many of my friends with children your age in the hopes of getting you to talk to other kids your age. And what do you do? You dye their skin green, cover them in butter, get their fingers glued together, cause them to vomit, purposefully stick gum in a girl's hair, and one left blithering about a catapult. Please do not do anything like that to my friend's daughter today. She is a very sweet girl and I do not want her running out in terror crying that she will be bald her whole life."

Beckett and Myles nodded slowly as they reflected on their past encounters with friends, neither one looking remorseful. Angeline continued her parental look, but the effect seemed to diminish with time and both boys were antsy to get into that lab and continue their experiment, so she switched tactics.

"Promise me that she won't leave this house any different than when she came in it."

"Mum, we can't control something like that," Myles pointed out, "she could fall down the stairs without us ever doing anything."

"You better be there to catch her then, like a proper gentleman. Now, promise me and you can go back to your lab."

Angeline could see the gears working in both boys' heads as they tried to weasel their way out of this. Myles would most likely be trying to find a loophole whereas Beckett was looking around for some kind of escape route. There was no use, though. No promise meant no lab and at last they looked at each other and came to the same decision.

"We promise, mum."

"Good, now finish up whatever it is you're doing in there and be downstairs at 5 of the hour looking presentable. That means nice clothes and no awful smell!"

Angeline shouted the last part because halfway through her sentence the twins took off for the lab, Beckett waving behind him to show that he heard the last part as Myles ushered him in to show him whatever he had done while Beckett was away.

After dealing with her adorably terrible twins, she felt she deserved a little break and went into the living room where she kept a few magazines. She had a collection of about twenty ranging from fashion to cooking to housekeeping, and she considered them her gospel for being a good mother. She frequently made recipes from _EasyFood_ using her family as guinea pigs, much to their chagrin. Angeline may know a lot about fashion and social skills, but her blackberry pie always had burnt crust and the filling never held together.

She was thinking about her next recipe to try, an Irish omelet because a regular ones did not seem fitting for a family such as hers, when she noticed that the doorway was covered in mud. Tracing it back to Beckett most likely shaking mud off like a dog, she retrieved the mop and bucket from the hallway closet and set to work. Using tips from _Good Housekeeping_, one of her online magazines, she filled the bucket with equal parts warm water and Windex since she was cleaning tile. She was unsure if she was using the right mop type, a simple rag mop, but she decided that it was better than nothing and a few minutes later the tile was almost spot-free. Satisfied with her work, she gathered up her tools and sat down to wait.

The doorbell rang as Angeline was finishing an article from Stellar. Her mouth formed a scowl because the twins weren't down here yet, but the guests had to be greeted first. Throwing the magazine on a stack, she rushed across the room heading to the door when she remembered that the floor was wet and began to walk more slowly. Breaking an ankle moments before greeting was not something Angeline Fowl would let happen.

"Welcome, Chloe, this must be the darling little Fay I've heard so much about," Angeline said as she swung the door open to welcome in her guests, saying it a little louder than necessary in an attempt to get her boys to listen.

"Ah, yes, this is her. Come on, Fay, say hello."

"Hello."

Mrs. Fowl smiled as the little girl did a quick curtsy as she greeted her. The overall impression was that the girl was a doll. Blonde, cascading curls that trailed down her back with a large ribbon acting as a headband. The eyes were green and framed a round and petite face that displayed a light smile. Her mother had her wearing a pink dress with a tight A-line bodice and flowing one layer skirt, a white ribbon around the middle to match the one in her hair. The shoes were simple Mary Janes with white lace rimmed socks. Angeline could only imagine how fun it would be to get to choose her outfit every day.

"Are the adorable twins I've heard so much about here today?" Chloe asked.

"Yes, they should be here-" Angeline stopped midsentence as Myles and Beckett came flying down the stairs right on cue. She gave them a quick look that clearly said, "you're late," but after seeing them looking so handsome it turned into a smile and she put her hands on their shoulders as they stopped on either side of her, like they had practiced so many times.

"This is Myles and Beckett," she gestured to each of them as she said their names, "and this is Chloe Knight and her daughter Fay. Why don't we say hello?"

"Nice to meet you," the twins echoed in unison before looking to their mother to get her approval on it. She nodded that it was an acceptable greeting and they made a move to try and slip away from more conversation. Unfortunately, she still had her hands on their shoulders and squeezed them as a signal that they weren't done here yet.

"Chloe, why don't I make us some coffee and we can catch up?"

"That sounds lovely. Now, Fay, play nicely with them okay?" Mrs. Knight reached down and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and whispered something in her ear.

"Boys, you have your orders." They nodded eagerly and Angeline could only wonder if they would actually follow them. While they were both very bright, they had a certain disregard for listening to people, especially their mother and brother; no one else seemed to notice it as much.

The twins were bouncing on their feet, but Myles looked up and saw his mother waiting expectantly for him to do something. Remembering their practicing, Myles extended a cordial hand that Fay accepted with a quiet merci. Beckett picked up cue and led the way upstairs. Angeline watched them go and could only hope that they wouldn't cause too much trouble.

"How was business in Paris?" Angeline asked after settling down in the kitchen with a nice cup of coffee. She felt proud of this one, even if she almost put in the beans ungrounded and had to be saved by Mrs. Knight pointing it out to her before the beans went in. Still, the taste didn't come out as horrid as her previous ones.

"It was slow at first as I had a hard time finding customers at the beginning, but things turned around about the time you bought one of my paintings. I can't thank you enough for buying that first painting."

"Well it was such a nice painting, of course I had to buy it. It's hanging in the parlor room next to a family portrait."

"Speaking of family portraits, where is that elusive husband of yours? Off on another project, I suppose?"

"Yes, this one is for transporting clean water across Africa. He's in the United States at the moment trying to find any willing sponsors. We have a few names in mind there, but it's all about signing papers and such. Speaking of the United States, is your husband still at Julliard?"

"Of course! He wouldn't give up his dream job for anything. I swear, Angeline, I could break my leg and he'd just send me a postcard saying hope you get better soon."

"Oh, Chloe, you know he'd jump on the next plane to wherever you are if you or Fay ever got hurt. Weren't you telling me how you phoned him to tell him it was Fay's birthday, and he immediately canceled his classes and flew over to wish her a happy birthday?"

Angeline watched as her friend's face flushed a little and a smile slowly crept across it. As much as she could complain about her husband, it was evident to anyone who talked with them that they were in love. Chloe swirled her cup of coffee with her spoon while Angeline contented herself with admiring her clean house and the two of them enjoyed their moment of silence. With young children to take care of, it wasn't very often that they got time to think and relax.

The contentment lasted about eleven seconds. That was when they heard a shrill scream from upstairs and both mothers bolted into action. Angeline was already preparing her speech and how she had deliberately told them not to do anything to that young girl, how she was never going to let them on their own again, how the lab was going away, and a million other things. Rounding the corner too fast, she neglected to remember that she had just wiped the floor and went crashing down onto the ground. Chloe, who was following behind her, saw this happen but had too much momentum and thus landed on top of her in front of the door.

Trying to ignore the headache that would soon follow, Angeline picked herself up and helped Chloe to her feet just in time to see her own son come flying down the stairs towards her. Myles was hopping down the steps with the angriest look he could manage; Angeline could only think of it as adorable, but understood that he was very angry.

"Mother! Mother, I hate this girl! I want her out of the house!" He stormed down the stairs and declared this at the very bottom, ignoring the fact that Fay's mother was right next to her. Angeline gave a quick look towards Chloe, but she had already taken off up the stairs to look for her daughter.

"Myles! I will not have you speak about our guests like that. Look how upset you've made Mrs. Knight."

"But she dunked my watch in rotten eggs! She said I didn't have enough incentive to get rid of odors."

"She… what?"

Angeline looked at Myles trying to see if he was making things up, but his little eyes that were about to tear up and his missing watch were pretty convincing evidence. Myles was one of the least likely people to cry and every time she tried to get him to wear a different watch he always protested against it. He claimed that the one he had on was fine and that no other watch would do.

"I'm so sorry, Angeline," Mrs. Knight apologized as she dragged her daughter by the wrist across the upstairs hallway. Angeline could see through the banisters as Fay pouted and tugged away from her mother.

"He just didn't want to give extra effort into his project. He treated it as a little experiment. Of course you won't get anywhere like that! You need, what is it, mother? Motorvition?"

"It's motivation, Fay, and you need self-control. I'm really very sorry. I thought that if your boys were as… rambunctious as you said that maybe they would keep her in line."

"No, it seems she was the one keeping them in line."

Mrs. Knight lead Fay down the stairs and made her stand in front of Myles who was sulking by his mother's side. She stood there perfectly still with her lips in a straight line, unwilling to admit defeat in this. After a few moments, her mother prompted her with a little nudge to apologize.

"Je suis désolée."

"In English, Fay, so he can-"

"Non, je comprends," Myles responded moving away from his mother's side. Angeline recognized that her little man was growing up, but gave him a little push forward anyway so he was standing eye to eye with Fay. His mouth opened for a moment as if he was going to protest more, but Fay gave him a little smirk and he pressed his lips into a think line and stared her down. They held that for a few moments before Myles decided to be the gentleman and give in. That and he had a suspicion Beckett was going to ruin his lab or the experiment if he didn't get back there in time.

"Eh, ce temps est passé."

"Well, isn't that lovely? They've become good friends again," Angeline remarked trying to restore her friendly atmosphere.

"Yes, I think so. Just in case, maybe we should call it a day, and come back-"

"Myles, Fay! I think I've got something!" Beckett yelled as he slammed their bedroom door against the wall. Immediately, Myles and Fay broke into wide grins and took off clambering up the stairs.

"I told you all you needed was motlication!" Fay shouted as she raced past Myles and into the lab.

"That's motivation, dear!" Chloe corrected, but, from the excitement those two showed, it was doubtful they heard anything else.

"We've made a terrible mistake, haven't we?" Angeline commented as she led the way into the dining room where their coffee was getting cold.

"Yes, I would have to agree with you. Putting the three of them together like this can only lead to disaster."

Both mothers took their original seats and sipped from their coffee, too deep in thought to notice the temperature. Mrs. Fowl reflected on how her boys were actually getting along with another person for once, and Mrs. Knight was happy that her daughter was putting her energy into something other than pranking any person she came into contact with, one of her unfortunate pastimes. Angeline put her coffee down and saw a small smile on her friend's face; the same one she must have on her own.

"Same time next week, then?"

"Yes, I think I could stay in Ireland for a while."

The first time I wrote this, I got much farther in the first chapter, but I am not at all disappointed with how it turned out. Next chapter will be more development of Fay, tragedy, and a lot of digging…


	2. The Unforeseen Events

And here comes the second chapter. More on the twins and Fay on their dynamics, with a plot twist thrown in. Don't worry, I won't kill off anyone…. Maybe. I make no promises.

**Reaching Through the Veil**

When Fay looked back on that summer, and all the ones afterwards at the Fowl house, all she remembers is constantly being up to no good. It was her favorite thing to do, even before she met the twins; they were just exceptional at enabling her mischief. She had lots of ideas with very little knowledge on how t realize them, but with their help she believed anything was possible.

"Why can't we dig to China?" Fay complained, pouting in Myles' chair. It was her third summer at the Fowl Manor, and she wanted this one to be memorable. They had some projects in the past, but none of them had left much of an impact on her. So, she figured digging to China would leave her with a sense of accomplishment.

"Fay, below the earth's crust is 1800 miles of magma, called the mantle. Then we get into the inner and outer core, the outer core speculated to be solid, totaling around 3900 miles, just to the center. You would have to double that to reach the other side. It's not possible."

It was then that Myles finally turned to look at her and she saw his eyebrows crease in annoyance. Her pout disappeared quickly and a light smile replaced it. She could almost feel his frustration, but she knew he wouldn't attempt to reclaim the chair. His last attempt ended with her screaming and crying until Beckett came to her rescue, pulling Myles off of her and telling him not to be mean to her. What Beckett didn't know was that Myles had only tapped her shoulder and asked her to move politely. Still, she got to keep her chair.

"I know that, you explained it to me before… can we dig around that?"

"It's… possible." Fay could see his lips twinge as he said that. He didn't want to lie, she always found out somehow, but it was plain to see that he did not want this plan to happen. Even as a young girl of eight, she was learning how to get what she wanted. And right now, she wanted to dig a hole.

"Then let's do it!" Fay jumped out of the chair and was already marching out of the room.

"It's possible, not plausible!" Myles followed behind, trying to talk some sense into her, "remember that number we made? Multiply that by 3. And the time it would take… we would never see it completed."

Fay stopped at this news and Myles bumped into her. She turned around to stare at him to see if he was making any of this up, but no, he wasn't wriggling his nose as he usually does when he lies. It was a funny quirk she found out not too long ago, and used it to her advantage whenever possible. If anyone else knew, they never let on.

It was also easy to forget that he was only eight years old like she was. If she wasn't looking at his face, he could easily be mistaken for a teenager or adult by the tone of voice and his vocabulary. But then she would be childish and drag him back to being his age. Or Beckett would. Kind of a game between them sometimes, who could get Myles to break first. The fun part was that Myles always treated it like it was the first time they teased him. For all his genius was, he fell for it every time.

"But I really want to dig a hole…" Fay sighed as she found the wall and slumped against it. Myles was about to reply when a familiar voice interrupted his thought.

"Did I hear someone say they wanted a hole?" Beckett bounded up the stairs and stopped right in front of Fay.

"I did!"

"I've found just the place, then. In the basement, there's this patch of dirt. Looks like it's been dug through before. I discovered it a few days ago when I was tracking a mouse through the house."

"Is that the same one we tried dying purple?" Myles asked suspiciously.

"Er, no. It's the one that you were testing a new hair growth formula on. It looked so soft that I wanted to play with it and it got away. The purple one Fay let out last week because she didn't like that it was locked up."

"So it was you!" Myles turned on her with a heavy glare, but she deflected it with a wave of her hand like she'd seen adults do.

"It was begging me to let it out."

"It can't talk. It's a mouse." More glaring and an added arm crossing.

"Well, maybe you should work on that later. Right now Beckett was discussing plans for a hole."

"Yeah, it looks like the perfect place for a hole. Secluded in the basement and soft ground."

There was still the problem of an angry Myles to deal with, though. Fay nodded at Beckett and they both directed their best puppy dog eyes at Myles. It was a gamble; the eyes only worked if Myles wasn't overly upset at them. They knew because they tried it once for forgiveness after causing a chemical spill in his lab that burned through a hole through his shoe and it failed.

Still, Myles slowly unfurled his brow and his mouth set into a small smirk. She knew he liked being needed and important too much to let a chance like this pass him by. He uncrossed his arms and actually broke into a smile, and she knew he had a brilliant idea.

"Instead of just a hole, why don't we make an escape tunnel to the forest?"

"Myles you're a genius!" Fay jumped up and attack hugged him. Beckett laughed as she knocked him to the ground with a thud and nearly squeezed the life out of him in the process. Fay knew there was a reason he was the crazy leader of the group; he spontaneously had suggestions like this.

Beckett picked Fay off of Myles so he could breathe again, and the trio set to work on their escape tunnel. None of them knew how a tunnel like this should really work, so Fay volunteered to do some research on tunnels for key components they would need. Beckett said he would look around and see what tools he could scrounge up and Myles began work on the initial plan.

Fay got bored with research quickly (the attention span of a eight year old is short) and decided to see what Myles was up to. Tiptoeing across the room, she leaned over his shoulder at his work. His notes were furious scribbles, mostly of pictures with a few interspersed words. There were numbers lined down the page from 1 to 5 at regular intervals, but whether these were steps or different ideas Fay had no clue.

She was content to watch his scribbles as he continued them onto the back, then a second and even a third page. After a while, it became clear he was following some sort of 5 step process as each page was numbered down the left side. It started off with what looked like a blob and at each step, new details were added on. Each page represented a new idea or concept, sometimes it looked like a drill and at other times an engine. None of it made much sense to her, but if Myles had an idea and she could help, then she would.

Invigorated, she bounced back into her chair and resumed her research until Beckett showed up with an armful of tools and materials he scavenged from the house. He dropped them right in front of Myles, earning himself a glare.

"Is this enough tools?"

"For the startup. We'll need more as we plan more of it out. We can get started on the motor that will turn the drill now, though."

Beckett nodded and selected a few objects from the pile. He set up a work spot behind the table on the floor, with all the tools in a ring around him. Fay could see Myles' look of horror at how his space had become so disorganized in a matter of minutes and did all she could to stifle her giggles.

The next few weeks passed by in a blur for Fay. There was a time when she did nothing but sit on a stump and watch the drill dig and others when she had to run back and forth from the manor to grab a part Beckett left behind or get bug spray for Myles. She remembers most clearly the day when Myles had a fever and she was his nurse for the day. Beckett would have helped, but Myles' said that at least one of them should be working on the project. It was a "man's promise" or something. Fay didn't really understand it.

"Why don't you want Beckett to help you?" Fay asked as she sat at his bedside in a chair. He had been cooped up in the house since early morning. Mrs. Fowl was very distraught that she had to go to a meeting for the day and leave him at home, but Butler assured her that he would take care of it. Fay volunteered to help, she wasn't much of a help to the project by this point, and Butler accepted her offer. He went out to get some medicine, leaving Fay to watch over her friend.

"He needs to continue working on the project. We can't fall behind schedule because of a small fever." Even sick, Myles still acted tough.

"You just don't want to show him that you're weak."

"That's… that's not true," Myles protested while trying to sit up, as if looking well would prove his point more. Fay gently pushed his shoulders back down.

"Sick people should just rest. When you're not well, it's okay to be a little selfish."

"Since when are you an expert on caring for the sick?"

"Since Butler left me here to take care of you."

"Well, I don't need it. I'd be just fine without your help." Fay knew he was still trying to be tough, but here she was, helping him out, and he couldn't even thank her properly. She knew the best course of action was to let it go, but…

"Fine. I won't take care of you then. I'll just let you be sick."

"And when you need help, I'll do the same for you."

Fay wanted to argue more, but she saw his breathing quicken; a sign, Butler told her, that the fever was increasing. Grabbing a face towel, she ran to the bathroom and soaked it cool water. She brought it back and put it on his forehead. It would only provide temporary relief, but it was the best she could do. Even if he didn't want her to help, he was a good friend and there was no way she would just let him suffer. She knew he would do the same for her.

They never did complete the drill project. Eventually, they reached a pipe that blocked their path about fourteen feet down. The only material they could have used would have involved melting down the armor in the hallway. That and Mrs. Fowl screamed when she heard Beckett fell in the hole and couldn't climb back out. He jumped down after seeing the pipe and was trying to dig sideways. When Myles and Fay called him back for lunch time, he realized there was no way out. He had expected to be able to climb his way out, but the sides weren't hard enough to grip. Eventually, Butler grabbed a ladder, but Mrs. Fowl ended the project there. It was the last time they attempted a project of that scale.

Then there was the memory that stood out against all others. Clear as crystal, she can still picture it in her mind, every detail as if it had just happened. What she was wearing, what Beckett said to her first, and the look on Myles' face. And after telling the story, you will understand why it was such a life changing event.

"I like that barrette," Beckett said to her after he opened the door for her. It was her fourth summer now; she was nine years old and growing all the time. Her mother told her that girls mature faster than boys, which explained why she was only a few inches shorter than Beckett. Her mind was sharpening, too, and the jokes that Myles made and the language he used were now part of her vocabulary.

"Thanks, Beckett, but you don't have to find something to compliment me on each time you open the door, and barrettes really aren't my thing. But this was your mom's silver barrette that she gave to me for my birthday last year, so I decided why not wear it today?"

"Must be why it caught my attention then, being my mom's and all. But I wouldn't say I liked it if I didn't mean it."

Fay loved that Beckett didn't change. Since the day they met, he has always been an honest and rambunctious kid, and she hoped he would always stay that way.

"Oh, Myles wants you to test his new machine. It's supposed to read minds or something."

"Why don't you test it?" Fay asked as she took off her sandals and placed them next to the door.

"Well, his design is a helmet you put on your head and we could only find an old bike helmet, so it doesn't quite fit my head." Fay could just imagine Myles trying to cram the helmet on his head, insisting that it would work not matter what.

"Alright, where is he?"

"Where do you think? His lab."

Myles' desire to learn had only grown with time. As he learned something new in school, he would rush home to search for more on the subject. Apparently, his latest subject had something to do with the brain, which led him to this experiment. In the past, he's built model rockets that would fly dozens of feet into the air before letting off a parachute and landing safely. What spurred the concept was an egg drop contest. Most kids were content with wrapping it in a nice casing and letting it drop. Myles Fowl had to propel it into the air first, and then have it land.

Fay went to the lab door, covered with warning signs in different colors and shapes, and tapped out her name in Morse code. She insisted that she always did this so he could always be certain it was her and not an imposter. And it annoyed Myles to no end.

"It's safe!" Myles called out. Grinning wide, Fay threw open the door and stepped into the lab. As expected, Myles was at his desk pouring over his notes as he double checked his calculations. He had been expecting her.

"I heard you had a mind reading machine?"

"It doesn't read minds. It will only indicate if there is brain activity right now. Eventually, it will read the actual signals. I have to do more research on that. Would you like to test it out for me?" He said the last part as he gathered up his notes and left the table in search of the invention before hearing her response.

"Myles, you know I love testing out your inventions. Is that even a question anymore?"

"I have to ask. You can always say no." Fay rolled her eyes. Even if she said no, he would inform her that her hero, Sherlock Holmes, would never back down from a challenge, and if she really wanted to emulate him, she would do it. Fay never developed a counter argument for it.

"Is this the day when I can actually see this work?" Beckett asked as he ran into the room.

"We could've done it earlier if your head wasn't so big."

"I can't help my head size…"

"Maybe that could be our next project, fixing Beckett's big head," Fay suggested with a Cheshire smile.

"Or we could fix that big mouth of yours," Beckett countered sticking his tongue out at her. She responded in kind and they were at war until Myles slammed a helmet on her head. Feeling for the straps, she buckled the helmet securely onto her head and gave Myles a thumbs up.

"Fay, if you would," Myles asked as he offered her a chair to sit in. She did a little curtsy and accepted the seat. The experiment was about to begin.

Myles took his place at the computer so he could control the signals and Beckett hung over his shoulder to see if he could learn anything about what was going on. Fay watched as Myles went through a mental checklist in his head of things like safety regulations, how everything would work, and potential pit falls. When he seemed satisfied, he pressed a few buttons and began the experiment.

"You're going to feel a slight tingling sensation. The way the helmet is made, it generates a small magnetic field. It's nothing to be alarmed about, though."

Fay nodded along, not really understanding what that implied. She could hear the whirring of the computer and the buzzing of the electricity around her ears. It sounded like the noise a television makes when it isn't tuned to any station. The buzzing was actually a little comforting, until it began to grow louder.

"Myles, is it supposed to get louder?" Fay glanced through her peripherals to see Myles trying to read waves on the screen. Even from here she could tell that the waves were getting bigger.

"What do you mean louder?"

"The buzzing is getting louder. It's hurting my head."

"Myles, I think we should stop," Beckett suggested, looking worried all of a sudden.

"Just a second… wait, are you wearing any metal?"

Everything seemed to go in slow motion from there. Fay wanted to respond with yes, but it felt like lightning hit her brain. The top of her head grew hot, and then a sharp pain manifested behind her eyes. She could see Myles and Beckett running towards her and vaguely recalled Beckett tearing the helmet apart and off her head. She grew very tired then, as if all her energy was used to create that spark. The last thing she saw before the darkness closed in was Myles' blue eyes. It was the prettiest blue she had ever seen, sparkling like a sapphire gem. She wanted that picture to last forever.

Fay awoke to the sound of a monitor, beeping out a heart rate. She flexed her fingers in wonder that she was still alive. Her eyes didn't seem to work yet, perhaps she was too tired, and so she took inventory with her ears pretending she was Sherlock Holmes. The monitor indicated a hospital, and a light breathing meant there was someone with her. If they hadn't responded yet, they must be asleep. Her hand reached out and felt a table by her bed, nearly knocking over a glass of water. Then there was a rustle of fabric.

"Mom, mom, she's awake! Myles, get up!" Fay recognized the voice as Beckett's. So there were two people asleep on her bed; the glass knocking must have woken Beckett up.

"Fay!" That was her mother's voice, so she must have flown in from Germany. There were a few more sets of footstep, but Fay couldn't determine the count. They sounded pretty heavy, maybe they were all adults. If only her eyes would open and she could see who was there.

"It's alright Fay, your mother's here," her mother said as she come up on her left, held her hand and stroked her hair softly. Fay turned her head to the side where her hand was held and heard a short collective gasp. Did she look that bad? Maybe there was an ugly scar on her face, but they would have seen that before, assuming that whoever was there had been with her all this time.

"What's wrong? Why did everyone gasp?" Silence answered her. It must be something hard to say, a life-changing thing then? Maybe the looks on their faces would tell her more; she could imagine them sharing nervous glances as they tried to think of the words to explain to her.

"What do you see, Fay?" Myles asked softly, barely above a whisper. She thought it a strange question, her eyes were closed so obviously nothing, but she decided to answer him all the same.

"Nothing, I can't seem to open my eyes." Her mother broke into sobs at that point and footsteps rushed forward. Fay could guess why, but she didn't want to believe it. Not until someone told her would she accept it.

"Your eyes are open, Fay, you just can't see anything out of them," Myles informed her. Yes, that would explain the strange feeling she had. And why she couldn't open her eyes, they were already open. And why everything seemed so dark but she could feel the sun on her skin.

Tentative, she brought her hands to her eyes and felt that her eyes were open. She put them two inches in front of her and willed them to materialize in her vision. But she had no vision. She was blind now.

"Is this… permanent?" Fay asked quietly.

"We don't know, sweetie, we only just found out ourselves. This is the first time you've woken up since the accident."

Right, she was with Myles and Beckett in their room with that machine. Myles' blue eyes were the last thing she saw, and maybe some words about wearing anything metal. Should she be angry at him for not checking? She usually didn't wear barrettes, so maybe Myles didn't think to account for them. Or he thought it was made of plastic.

Fay wanted to be mad at him, yell at him and tell him it was his fault that she was blind now, but she knew better. Myles would be tearing himself up already, going back and forth inside his head, fighting with himself as he tried to come to terms with what he just learned. He'd be calling himself a failure as a scientist, as a friend for letting this happen. Instead of being angry, she should be supportive.

Feeling with her free hand, she moved in the direction of Myles' voice, somewhere to her right, and stopped when she felt skin. Exploring the hand, she found that it was much larger than her hand, rough and the nails were jagged, as if they were bitten off. That must be Beckett's hand then so she let go and tried again. Tracing the edge of the bed, she ran into an arm and followed it down to the hand. This one was softer and the nails were smooth and round and a little bit bigger than her hand. It was Myles'.

"It's okay, Myles. I'm just fine, see? I'll figure something out about being blind, so you don't have to blame yourself. If you want to help, just continue being good friends with me, okay?"

There was a moment of silence, and Fay wondered if he was going to say something in response. Knowing him, he'd just be fighting back tears, afraid to say something out loud for fear of letting them fall. Following that, he would be nodding in response, trying to let her know that he heard her and keep his manly pride.

"I can't see if you're nodding, so you'll have to speak up."

That must have set something off because he just let those tears fall. Myles didn't cry often, but when he does he cries like a man. His other hand came and his hands held hers, trying to squeeze his feelings into the grip. She felt light vibrations, and guessed that it was Beckett patting his brother on the back.

"I'm sorry, Fay. I'm so sorry. I-I should have checked more carefully and double checked everything, and spent more time worrying about what could happen, and-"

"Oh, stop it already. I'm blind, not dead. I'll just have to learn to live differently. Just tell me you'll be there to help when I need it."

"I will, I always will," Myles promised. Fay wished she could see his face right then, and the fire he probably had in his eyes when he said that, rimmed with the tears he just cried. It would have been an amazing picture.

And the thought halted all her other processes. Pictures, art, drawing, her drawing. How could she draw anymore if she was blind?! She wouldn't be able to see the canvas or the colors. Wouldn't be able to draw new things, or landscapes, or anything like that. She couldn't be an artist anymore.

But she could deal with that later. Right now, there was a room full of people and she didn't know who was there.

"Who else is here?"

"I am." It was her dad. He must have taken time off from work in America and flown over here.

"Dad!" Myles and her mother freed her hands so she could hug her dad. It was a little awkward because she couldn't get the distance right, but he leaned over and wrapped his arms around her.

"I haven't seen you in years, and my how you've grown."

"I've missed you too, dad. How has work been?"

"I've composed a few new songs, but I'll teach them to you later. Everyone else here wants to say hello, too." Her father let her go and helped her to sit up in the bed.

"Fay! I'm so glad you're alright. When I Beckett told me you'd been hurt, I had prepared for the worst, but you're alright. Oh, my husband, Arty, and Butler are here, too."

It made sense that Butler and Artemis Senior were here, but Artemis the Second was a surprise. Fay had seen him around often, but whenever she was over she was usually getting up to no good with the twins. Every once in a while, they would consult him for help or he would voluntarily teach them something new, but she had never had a real conversation with him.

Butler, on the other hand, was much closer to her. Butler cooked when Angeline was out and Fay would always volunteer to help him. She loved listening to the stories he had, and even though he tried to keep the details out, she could tell they were dangerous stories of adventure.

Artemis Senior was more of an enigma to her than anyone else, but it made sense for him to be here considering the accident happened in his house. He was around the house quite a bit, but whenever she was over he left the trio alone to their adventures.

Still, it was a nice feeling that so many people cared about her.

The doctor came in then and shooed everyone out of the room except for Fay and her parents. He examined her eyes, ran some tests and many other things Fay didn't really pay attention to. She was far too worried about being permanently blind to bother trying to figure out what was going on around her. A few hours later, the doctor came back in with his conclusion.

He sat down and calmly explained that the optic nerve had been damaged from the shock and it would be irreparable. The good news, he said, was that Fay was young and could learn to do things again quickly. Her parents hardly seemed to count this as good news, but appreciated his good intentions. And then her parents left to negotiate insurance costs, and the doctor left to go see his next appointment, and everyone else was already gone.

And Fay was left alone in a big, dark space. It was something she would have to get used to, she supposed. What did blind people normally do by themselves? Reading was still an option, even if she would have to learn braille, and listening to music was the same. But TV would be impossible. Her life would be completely different now.

As she was wallowing in self-pity, the door flung open and two sets of light footsteps ran in. It must be Myles and Beckett, she couldn't think of anyone who walked that lightly.

"Fay, guess what?" Beckett asked jumping beside her onto the bed. She didn't feel Myles sit down, so she guessed he was standing behind Beckett.

"What is it?"

"You're gonna live with us now!"

"Really?!" This would cure the boredom she thought she would have to deal with.

"Yeah! Your mom said that travelling everywhere with you probably wouldn't be the best idea and then my mom offered and she convinced your parents that it would be the best for you. What do you think?"

Fay smiled at them and held out both her hands for them to grab. Beckett caught on instantly, and he coaxed Myles out from behind him to do the same. She gave them both a big squeeze and brought their hands together in front of her.

"I think it's gonna be awesome."

Aaaand that was way longer than I thought it would be. But I really wanted to go more in depth of them as a group of kids before I time skip to the years I really want to focus on. Necessary background stuff. Hope you enjoyed it!


	3. The Sidewalk Artist

Not much to say here, only I hope you like our new character!

**Reaching Through the Veil**

The day of the Great Techno-Crash,

The world was on fire. Mothers grabbed their children and ran to their basements. Lovers held each other close and laid their hearts on the table, everything they ever thought about saying spilling out from their mouths. Clergy knelt on the ground and prayed that this destruction would pass quickly. Men shouted at the sky daring it to throw something worse at them, as if everything in their house simultaneously exploding wasn't enough.

One little girl watched a plane fall and with it the only family she really knew. She was watching as the plane climbed higher in the sky from the backseat of her aunt's junky car, barely noticing the seatbelt that tried to stay wrapped around her when she pressed her face to the window glass, and the plane's engine exploded. The flaming vehicle's ascent quickly became a fall, not even the least bit graceful as it flopped like a poorly thrown football to the ground. The girl could only stare in terror as the meaning of that fiery mass of metal hitting the earth dawned on her slowly.

Only half an hour ago her father just kissed her on the forehead, telling her that his business trip would only be a few days long. He ruffled her dark hair and told her just how much it looked like her mother's. She wanted to ask him to bring her something back, but she was always shy about those things, not wanting to be a burden or an annoyance. As if sensing this, her dad took off his hat, an old newsboy style cap, and gave it to her. He said that it would protect her in his place. She would much rather have her dad here now.

While her father went to get the tickets, her mother picked her up in a hug.

"You're only four years old," she said, "but you always try to act like an adult. It's okay to not be so brave, we'll be back before you know it. I'll miss you so much."

"I'll miss you, too, mommy."

The mother was reluctant to let go, as if she knew what was about to happen. She squeezed her daughter tighter, trying to convey a mother's love in a single hug. The daughter felt it and wrapped her tiny arms around her mother's neck. The little girl would never forget this moment. Whenever she felt cold or alone, she went back to here, being in her mother's arms that last time...

And remembered all the things she should have said.

Then her father tapped her mother on the shoulder with a hurried, "we're going to miss the plane," and the little girl was passed to her aunt who gave her sister and brother-in-law a wave, telling the little girl to give a wave, too.

"I love you," her mother called out as she went up the escalator to get on her plane.

"Love you mommy!" the girl shouted without knowing if her mother heard it. Her last memory of them was her father taking her mom's hand and disappearing around a corner and out of sight. She should have told them not to get on, that she really didn't want them to leave her. But she was a good girl and she held her tongue and tried to be brave. And then they were gone. And now she was all alone.

11 years after the Crash,

"Myles, does this match?" Fay asked doing a small pirouette, showing off a yellow summer dress. It was a weekend and they decided to take a trip to town, which usually became a big ordeal no matter how small the task was. Today they had two objectives: Fay wanted new summer clothes and the boys needed a haircut. The second objective was completed in a half hour, which left Fay with the rest of the day to shop. Leading to Myles' current predicament.

"Fay, you know I'm a bad judge of this. You always end up hating what I choose. Ask Beckett," Myles stated as he checked the latest news updates on his phone. He still shuddered when he remembered her shrieking one day when she learned he had let her wear a red plaid skirt with a green blazer and a pink undershirt. Beckett luckily stopped her from going outside like that, but she pouted that whole day and wouldn't talk to him. He learned his lesson.

"He left to go find me a size down in something. Just tell me what you think."

Myles knew Fay could be relentless when she wanted something, so rather than dragging it out, Myles locked his phone, put it in his pocket, and looked. And he saw Fay, reaching her full height of barely five feet, waiting for his answer. He thought there was too much yellow because her hair, blond curls, was really long and it blended with the dress. That the white polka dots were too big and too close to her fair skin color and made it look like holes in the dress. That it hung awkwardly on her slight frame making her legs look stubby. That it seemed too heavy for her because she usually walked as if tiptoeing on air. What he eventually said?

"I don't like the polka dots." He apparently didn't learn that lesson.

"Polka dots are perfectly fine in the summer if they're used right. My mom brought over this light polka dot dress when she visited last month and I've been trying to find something similar to it." Chloe flew in from Canada last month, bringing the latest fashions there for her daughter and Angeline. The presents were her way of thanking Angeline for looking after Fay and an excuse to visit regularly. Angeline accepted it gratefully; where else would she get clothes like that?

"This one seems different from the last one, it's…"

"You're washed out, Fay, you need something like this," Beckett said as he brought over the size she wanted and another dress. This one also had polka dots, white even, but they were on a black background and much smaller. The fabric was also made of cotton instead of the polyester of the other one, with a bell skirt and a long strip of fabric a few inches wide that looped behind her neck.

"Ooh, I like the feel of this one," Fay exclaimed when Beckett handed it to her. Beckett led her with his elbow back to the dressing room and left her off there with the other size. Myles zoned out again as Beckett took over. As Myles demonstrated, he could analyze the outfit very well and point out the flaws it had. But when it came to explaining these things, he became inarticulate, the only time he ever does.

Myles wait outside the dressing room for Fay to decide if she liked the skirt or not. She came out and gave him a smile, her signal that she liked it. Myles refrained from helping her walk and trailed behind her as she used her walking stick. And then her foot caught on a shoe stool. Instantly, Myles was at her side and caught her before she hit the ground. He helped her get back on her feet and then stepped back again, letting her be independent.

"Ahem, Myles," Fay coughed and then held out her hand. Or she wanted his help. Myles never seemed to get it right. He placed her hand on his elbow with all the grace of a gentleman and led her through the check-out aisle. One detour as she smelled a new perfume they were advertising but ultimately deciding it was too sweet, the trio exited the building carrying the day's successes.

Myles never quite got used to the stares people would give him and Fay as they walked arm in arm like this. Most people never realize that Fay is blind, and start making up stories instead. Perhaps she is a princess from a distant country with her butler and bodyguard trailing behind. Or he just came into new money and bought the girl, flaunting her around. Another is that they are an old and rich family, the brother and sister plus the bodyguard. In almost every scenario, Beckett is the bodyguard of some kind; he just looks too strong not to be.

"Ready to go back, Fay?" Myles asked hoping the answer was yes.

"Almost. I want to visit that park across from the ice cream shop."

"You mean you want ice cream."

"Now that you mention it, that would be lovely, too." Myles rolled his eyes and shook his head, causing Beckett to laugh behind him. Fay was a known ice cream lover, cake lover, and general lover of sweets. Sometimes it was almost a blessing she couldn't see; both twins were sure she would drag them into every sweet shop on the block if she knew they were all there. Even then, she could certainly smell most of them.

"While you guys do that, I'm going to look around a few… shops," Beckett said with a wave and dropped off from the group. Myles opened his mouth as if to stop him, but changed his mind. Recently, Beckett had been sneaking off to shops and hiding out in the woods behind the manor, but Myles didn't have the patience right now to try and figure it out. He would have to drag Fay into it, too, and he didn't want to do that.

"Fay, why don't we get some ice cream…? Fay?" Myles asked realizing that she had left his elbow. She escaped. But where? Looking around, he saw her heading towards a street artist who was using chalk to create a waterfall on the sidewalk. Myles decided to let her be; she could walk around fine enough on her own if she wanted to, but would kill him if she didn't get her ice cream.

It was hard to tell from where Myles stood, but the artist looked to be a young girl, somewhere around his age. Further inspection showed that her clothes were tattered and most several sizes too large. There was a small box near her feet, a hat near the chalk drawing, and a backpack some yards behind her. Still, she was friendly enough to let Fay run her hands over the chalk and it seemed that the two of them struck up a conversation over something, the girl picking up the hat and some change inside it. Deciding it was all right, he ordered a chocolate ice cream with rainbow sprinkles for Fay.

Myles picked up the ice cream cone and headed over to meet Fay and her new friend, but decided to hang back and watch instead. Fay was animatedly talking with the girl now, who had a small smile but barely said a word; Fay had that effect. The girl led Fay over to her chalk to show her what she had been using to draw, and demonstrated some techniques she had used to make the foam at the base of the waterfall, only to realize that Fay couldn't see them. She tried to hide her embarrassment by pulling an old newsboy cap further down on her face, but Fay tugged her hands away and laughed. The girl laughed with her, but then she caught Myles staring at her and froze up.

"Fay, I have your ice cream cone," Myles announced loud enough to get her attention. The girl looked like she wanted to dart away, but Fay was still holding her hands. Interesting.

"Ooh, what flavor did you get me?"

"Chocolate with rainbow sprinkles."

"How can I be sure they're rainbow and not chocolate?"

"I'm not going to quote a skittles commercial, Fay, no matter how you want me to."

"You're no fun, not like my new friend here! Myles, this is Joss, Joss, Myles," Fay introduced with a few flourishes as Myles placed the ice cream cone in her hand. Myles was able to get a better look at Joss now that he was up close. The first thing he noticed was that she looked tired, bags under her brown eyes, hidden underneath dirt and handfuls of freckles. The newsboy cap previously used for tips covered medium length brown hair, tied back with a string, probably so it didn't get in her way when drawing. A tattered trench coat hung loosely on her shoulders, making her thin body look even thinner. The pants didn't reach her ankles, but fit her legs well; they must be too small. Her shoes were an old pair of sneakers, the lip a little torn, but still in serviceable condition. She shuffled them nervously as Myles held the silence a little too long in his scrutiny.

"Nice to meet you," Myles greeted holding out his hand to Joss' now free ones with a perfect smile drilled into him by his mother. Hesitantly, she took it.

"Yeah… nice to meet you."

"Joss is an amazing artist Myles! I was telling her how much my mom would be impressed with her art skills. Actually, I was just about to invite Joss to come visit us at the manor, would that be okay?" Myles wanted to admonish her, inviting her was a terrible idea, but it didn't do well to argue in front of a stranger. Not that the girl looked like she would care.

"Yes, that should be fine. Why don't you come over here, Fay, and we can call her and ask."

"Alright… We'll be back in a minute Joss." The girl nodded. Myles could see the relief wash over her as he led Fay to a nearby park bench. They sat in silence for a few minutes as he let her eat her ice cream. She looked so content in the park, even on such a hot day, while the rise in temperature only made his mood worse. On the best of hot days, he was grumpy, and on the worst, well, he's always managed to keep his cool. He could only hope that today would not be the day he lost it. As Fay chomped on the last part of the cone, Myles began his enquiry.

"What are you doing asking a homeless girl to our house?"

"She's homeless?" Fay asked, absently licking ice cream drips from her fingers. Her looking so content only set him off more.

"Fay, I know you could tell in your own way that she was homeless, from the squeak of her shoes or something. Now why are you asking her to come to our house?"

"You don't need to get so upset about this."

"Just answer the question then." If Fay kept teasing him like this, Myles thought he really would lose his temper.

"I want her to come live with us."

That was the last answer Myles had expected to hear. Immediately, Myles deflated, all the frustration he had with Fay dissipating into thin air. He had expected Fay asking her mother to give Joss some connections, or asking Angeline to give her some money, or donating clothes she had to the girl, but nothing so extreme. It was both insane and kind. And as much as he wanted to just refuse her outright, something about the way Fay clenched her hands together, as if praying, made him at least hear her out.

"Why would you want this?"

"Myles, she is a homeless little girl. She shouldn't have to live on the streets like this. She's afraid to trust people, to get close. Her hands were trembling when I held them, even if they were relaxed. I want to do something for her, Myles! Is that okay?!"

Fay turned to face him as she said these words, her hands reaching out to grab his arm. She looked up at him, a tear forming on the corner of her eye and a little quiver on her lip. It was all too perfect.

"…That was very good acting Fay, a little dramatic, but what's the real reason?" Myles asked eliciting a pout from Fay as she let go of his arm and crossed hers.

"I thought it was very good. But the helping a homeless girl aside, I need to spend time with a girl my age. I love you and Beckett, but I'm a lady and would like to have a girl friend. All the ones I tried making when I was growing up never quite stuck, but I think Joss could be a good friend."

"So you plan to force her to stay at the manor? How?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something Myles," Fay said with a big smile as she rose from the bench, Myles automatically moving to her side. Myles again wanted to protest Fay, but she had some solid reasoning there. And his mother would love to have another girl around. Luckily for them, Joss hadn't escaped yet, but she was packing up her supplies; she planned to run away from them. Wait, what if she wasn't just homeless, but a runaway, too?

"Joss, we're back!" Fay called out, causing Joss to jump, "Angeline said you could come over…"

"Um, I have to go now actually." Joss slung her backpack over her shoulder, the box tucked away inside the pack. She must be used to having to run like this. As they approached, her footsteps were edging away. Myles would lose her if she started to bolt; he couldn't just leave Fay alone.

As good fortune would have it, Beckett cam strolling over at that time, his purchases in his left hand. Hopefully, Beckett would just go along with the scenario.

"Beckett, catch that girl!" Myles yelled and pointed towards Joss, causing panic to flicker across her face. She turned to face Beckett and the locked eyes for a second. They held contact for only a moment before Joss was running in the opposite direction of Beckett, who didn't need telling twice. He threw his bag at Myles, who by some miracle caught it, and chased after the girl.

"Oh my, this got interesting fast," Fay commented idly. Myles could only hope this would turn out all right. In the meantime, might as well look up some things on his phone.

Beckett had no idea what he was getting into when he followed Myles' command to chase this girl. She appeared to be homeless, judging from the trench coat and backpack, but that shouldn't be a reason to chase her. Fay must have been the one to coax Myles into this, her wanting to do good and help the homeless girl or something. So really he was doing what Fay wanted him to do.

But damn, the girl could run.

It had been a few minutes since he began chasing her, and he hadn't gained on her at all. She kept darting around people, swiftly passing through crowds, where Beckett had to push his way past. She knew the back roads too, all the different alleyways to take to try and lose him. Unlucky for her, Beckett was around 6 feet tall and had good eyesight; he could see right over the crowd and follow her wherever she went.

He thought he had lost her when he turned down a back alley, only to find her climbing on top of a roof. Not to be outdone, Beckett followed her. His tree climbing experience as a kid came back to him and he scrambled up a few trash cans and jumped onto the roof. The girl had a head start on him and was on the next roof. But he could catch her up here; there were no crowds to slow him down.

Beckett closed the distance between them, the girl looking over her shoulder occasionally. Up ahead, Beckett could see that the roofs ended and opened into a shopping area. The girl paused on the edge of the roof, debating if a 2 story jump would be worth it. He had her now.

"So you've finally stopped running away," Beckett called out, a few yards away from the girl. Her hat hid her part of her face, but she looked about his age and all kinds of…well he wasn't sure what he wanted to think. Her face looked angular and a little sunken from malnutrition, but with a decent burger, she could probably pass for pretty.

"I'm Beckett, by the way. You've already met my brother and Fay it looks like. Myles can be a little, er, prickly, but it's because he's protective of Fay. Don't think too badly of him." Beckett waited for the girl to respond to him, but al she did was tip back her hat to get a better look at him, her brown eyes scrutinizing him, but for what reason? But there was a more important question than that.

"Why am I chasing you anyway?"

"Heck if I know!" the girl yelled back, bringing a wide smile to Beckett's face.

"Ah, so you do talk," Beckett continued causing the girl to glare at him, "Don't be angry with me! I had fun chasing you, I got to see a lot of the town I haven't before."

"You had fun?" The girl dropped her glare for a look of disbelief. She really liked to change expressions fast.

"Of course! Following a pretty girl like you around, even if I had to sprint most of the time. You're very fast, y'know."

The girl looked even more confused then, her mouth opening and closing a few times as she tried to find words to say. She looked behind her, too, contemplating the jump again. Beckett was mentally slapping himself in the head; this was no time to try and figure out her personality!

"Maybe if you explain why my brother told me to chase you, I'd leave you alone," Beckett hinted, attempting to get her talking again.

"Just leave me alone!" The girl made up her mind then and jumped from the roof. Beckett ran to the ledge just in time to see her land on a pile of garbage and roll off clumsily. He knew he would have to act fast or she would get away, and he still wanted some answers. Without further hesitation, Beckett jumped from the roof and landed on the garbage, but instead of taking a roll, he used it to spring launch himself at the girl, tackling her to the ground.

"Get off me!" the girl screamed, kicking and scratching at him. Beckett couldn't hurt a girl, so all he could do was take the hits.

"Ah, my leg!" Beckett gasped as he momentarily let her go to tend to his leg. The girl, sensing that she was the cause of this, paused briefly with a twinge of guilt. Before she seized the chance to run, Beckett grabbed her around her middle and threw her over his shoulder. The weight of her backpack threw him off for a moment and he almost dropped her, but he was able to regain his balance just in time.

"Ha! Got you." Beckett triumphed as he looked around to get his bearing on where he was. The girl hadn't started kicking at him yet, so might as well take this chance to explain. "Oh, my leg's fine. I've picked up a few acting tips from a friend."

"Well isn't that swell? Now let me down!" That was when she began kicking his chest and punching his back. Beckett ignored her and started his way down a road, hoping to run into one he knew.

"First tell me your name."

"No! Now let me down!"

"Name please."

"No! Let go!"

"Name."

"… Joss. Now let me down."

"Hm, no. If I put you down, you'll run. And if you run, how could I get to know you more?" So far, nothing around here was looking familiar…

"Not my problem. I don't need your help." So Fay did want her to come back to the manor. Beckett would love to go back to the manor, too, but he didn't even know where he was.

"That's fine. Fay's probably not doing it to help you. She's a lonely girl, cooped up in a large house with mostly guys. There's my mother, too, but she can be kind of suffocating. So really, Fay wants you to help her."

This left Joss in silence to contemplate the new information, giving Beckett time to try and sort out where he was. He started chasing her east across the park, and then turned right onto one of the market streets… did he take a left after that or a right? Where did he follow her onto a roof? Why did he follow her onto a roof?

"That's not my problem either! I've known this Fay for a grand total of 5 minutes. She's got no business pulling random girls off the street to be her friends. Not only that, it's a danger to me and her."

"Are you done?" Beckett asked mostly distracted with being lost.

"No, I am not done until you see reason and let me fuck down! I don't want to be her friend, I don't want to help her out! What can I do to make you let me go? You want money? I'm very good at finding some, just put me down and I can-"

"Look, Joss. You don't want to be her friend? That's fine. Just do her this one favor. Come have dinner with us, a free meal, and then you can go on your way. It'd mean a lot to her."

The girl stopped kicking at him then, as if weighing the options. It seemed like a pretty easy choice to Beckett, but maybe she had some other things in her life that prevented her from taking chances like this and trusting others. Eventually, she made her choice.

"Fine, I'll have dinner with you. Can you please put me down?"

"Can I trust you not to run?"

"Yeah, yeah whatever." Beckett set her down gently and found that she made no move to run. She seemed to have stubbornly accepted her fate.

"Great, now I need your help with something."

"What?"

"Getting back to the park."

AAAAAAND done. Well, we've got our first insight into Joss. The latter half of this chapter was inspired by Sims 3 (which I do not own) and making characters for all the people and seeing how they go. It turned out…. Interesting to say the least, but I learned a few things from it!


End file.
